It has been 260 years since Tristan was crowned. His devotion to Jor'el guided his reign. But not all his descendants proved loyal to what he established. Now only a handful of Jor'ellian Knights and an aged Vicar remain committed to the Old Faith. The ambitious Baron Zared begins to influence King Berk further from his heritage. As King's Champion, Sir Niles of Pollux finds himself caught between his duty to protect the royal family and the call of the Jor'ellians to defend the Old Faith from Zared's machinations. Can Niles reason with a stubborn king? Will he and his Jor'ellian compatriots discover the secret Zared is hiding? What of the Guardians? Will they be able to stop the House of Tristan from failing?